Railway traffic controlling apparatus



May 10,- 1932- B. E. OHAGAN RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS FiledJune 23, 1931 F m 0 w [fill 12+ 0110012 by vehicle axle;

I N VEN TOR.

M ,i Q 5; 2

Patented May 10, 1932 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE f BERNARD E. OHAGAN, orSWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ssreNoR 2150 THE UNION-V SWITCH & SIGNALCOMPANY, or SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIARAILWAY; TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APrAnArrUs Application filed une 23,

My invention relates to railway traflic con-- trolling apparatus, andparticularly to ap-- paratus of the type involving tripping deviceslocated in the trackway and cooperating with train-carried apparatus toapply the brakes under unsafe traflic conditions in ad- Vance.

One feature of my invention is the provision' of novel and improvedmeans, located partly on the train and partly in the trackway, forpermitting the engineman to clear the trackway tripping device underunsafe traflic conditions in advance, such means also operating toimpose a low speed limit on the train as long as the train is travelingunder unsafe trafiic conditions in advance.

I will describe one form of apparatus e m bodying my invention, and willthen point p .out the novel features thereof in claims. 20

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic View showing one form ofapparatus embodying my invention. Referring to the drawing, thereference characters 6 and 6 designate the track rails of a railwaytrack alongwhich trailic normally moves in the direction indicated bythe arrow. At least one of these rails is divided by insulated joints 7to forina plurality of successive track sections. In the drawing 1 haveshown only the forward end of one sec--,

tioneP, and the rear end of the adjoining section Q, but it isunderstood thatthe apparatus located at the junction of these two sec- 1.tions will be repeated at the junctionjof'each two successive tracksections involvedin the system.

Each track section is winding connected across the rails at the entranceend of the section. 'As illustrated in the drawing, the source ofcurrent for section home relay H havinga circuit which includes a frontcontact 20 of track relay K, and which .is also controlled by the trackIrelay or relays for one or more sections in advance of Q.

provided with the usual track circuit, comprising a source of currentconnected across the rails at the exit end of the section, and a trackrelay having a 1931. Serial. No. 546,250.

This circuit is supplied with alternating current from a suitablesource,the terminals of which are designated BX and CK.

Thetracksection Q is provided with a tripping device-4, whichis'controlled by a mag-' net L in such manner that the tripping deviceoccupies its tripping position when the magnet-is deenergized, but ismoved to its non-tripping position when magnet L be The magnet L isprovided with a main-circuit which includes front contact 16 of the.home relay H, so that when relay H is ener-' gized, magnet L is alsoenergized to hold the tripping device 4 in its non-tripping position;Magnet L is provided with, a stick circuit which passes from-terminalLBX, through back contact 17 of track relay K, f

contact 5 which is closed only when the trip- I ping device is in itsnon tripping position, and the winding of magnet L to terminal OX.

The apparatus disclosed" in the present'application is intended for useon railways equipped with multiple unit electric trains, and as is wellunderstood the usual practice is to equip eachmotor car of such trainswith an arm 3 and the braking apparatus controlled thereby. The stickcircuit just traced for magnetL is the usual 'stic'k circuit fprovidedfor railways of thistype to keep the tripping device sin itsnon-tripping position as long as anypart ofa tram occupies section Q,and so to prevent the train from tripping the rear cars.

Associated with the magnet L is a clearing relay N, which is normallydeenergize'd, but

which may become energized at timesfrom a forward cars of a traincarried source of current, as hereinafter explained; When the relay N isenergized, an auxiliary clearing circuit for magnet L is closed atcontact 18, so that magnet L i p 1.1m Wlll then become energized, eventhough relay H is deenergized. Relay N is provided with a partialtrackWay circuit which terminates intwo spaced contact rails 8 and 8".This partial circuit is from contact rail 8 ,.through back. contact 19of relay H, and winding of relay N to contact rail 8. This partialcircuit is provided with a low resistance shunt around relay N, whichshunt includes front contact 19 of relay H, so that the low resistmiceshunt is closed when and only when relay H is energized.

Referring now to the train-carried apparatus, this apparatus involves anacknowledging relay A which is controlled by a normally closed-pushbutton 14c and by an acknowledgment restoring relay AR. Relay. A isprovided with a stick circuit which passes from terminal'B of a suitablesource of current, through front contact 10 of relay A, contact of pushbutton 14, and the windingthe drawing. When magnetM is energizeditcloses a valve F in the pipe E, and when the magnet M becomes'deenergized, it permits this valve to openand thereby cause anautomatic'applicationot the brakes. MagnetM is provided with anauxiliary circuit which includes a contact 15 operated by a speedresponsive device D. This contact is closed when and onl-y when thespeed of. the vehicle s below a safe lowvalue, such, for example,

as 15 miles per hour. It follows that as long as the. acknowledgingrelay A is energized, the vehicle 'maytravel at any desired speed, butthat when this relay becomes deenergized the "brakes will be applied ifthe speed exceeds 15 miles per hour.

The restoring relay AB is included'in a partial train-carriedcircuit whch terminates in two shoes 9 and 9 arranged to register respectivelywith the two contact rails 8 and 8 As here shown, the shoes are nor--mally retracted from positions for engagement with the 'conta'ct rails,but are projected into engaging positions with these rails whenever theacknowledgingrelay A is deenergized; This may be accomplished. bymounting the shoes 9 and 9 on. a crosshead 23, which is controlled by apneumatic motor S. The p ston 24 of this motor is biasedflby a springQQto an upper position wherein the shoes are in' their non-engagingpositions. 'When flu d pressure is admitted to the motor SfibOVBltllGrpiStOII'QL, however, this piston and the crosshea'd 23 aremoved downwardly against the action of the spring 23 to such positionthat'the shoes will-engage with the trackway contact rails. The supplyof fluid pressure to the motor S is controlled by a valve T, and thisvalve is provided with an operatingcircuit which includes a back contact12 of relay A.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Assuming that traflicconditions in advance of section Q and up to the control limit of relayH are clear, thetripping device 4-. will be in its non-trippingposition, so that this device will have no efiecton the traincarriedapparatus and the train may pass the tripping-device at any desiredspeed.

If track conditions between section Q, and the control limit of relay Hare not clear, however, home relay H will be deenergi-zed,

so that magnet L will be deenergized and the tripping device 4 will beinthe tripping position. As the train approaches this tripping device, theengineman may operate the acknowledging push button .14, therebydeenergizing the acknowledging relay A, .and this will place the brakeapplication magnet M under the controlof speed governor contact 15, sothat the train will incur an auto matic application of the brakes if thesafe low speed limit is exceeded. Back contact 12 of relay A will thenclose the circuit for valve the motor S willbe operated to. project theshoes 9 and 9 into positions for T, so that engagement with the contactrails 8 -an'd 8", respectively. Then these shoes and rails enage is frdmterminal Bonthetraimthrough back contact 112 of relay A, winding ofrelay AR,

contact shoe9", contact rail 8", winding of relay N, back contact 19 ofrelay .H, contact rail 8?, and contact shoe 9? 'to terminal 'C of thesame source of current. The character istics of relays and N a'resuchthat when this circuit is closed relay N willv become energized, butrelay AR will not; The closing of vrelay N will'energize magnet L, andthis in turn will move the tripping device A to its non-trippingposition, so that the train may proceed into section Q. It is understoodthat track relay K willopen before the contact shoes 9 leave the contactrails 8,

so that the auxiliary circuit for magnet L throughback contact 17 willbe closed before contact 18 of relay N opens. The trainmay now proceedthrough section Q, subject, however,.tothe speed limit imposed bycontact 15 of the speed responsive device D. If the next tripping deviceis in the tripping position,-

it will be automatically cleared bythe cooperation of the train-carriedshoes 9with the .a' circuit will be closed, which circuit trackwaycontact rails Sassociated with-such tripping device. When the trainenters a track section the home relay H for-which is closed,'the lowresistance shunt around the associated clearing relay N will be closed;

whereupon the current which will then .be

supplied to train-carried relay AR Wlll'bf sufficient to close thisrelay, withthe result that the pick-up circuit for the acknowledgingrelay A will then be closed. The closing of relay'A will close the stickcircuit for this relay and will remove the low speed limit. It will alsodeenergize valve T, so that the crosshead 2 3 and the shoes 9 will beretracted. The train may then proceed at full speed until it againencounters a tripping device in the tripping position.

The only reason for moving the contact shoes into and out of positionsfor engagement with the contact rails 8 is to prevent excessive wear onthese parts when a train is passing clear signals. If the shoes andcontact rails are constructed in such manner as to withstand actualcontact at full speed, the

motor S and valve T can be omitted and the shoes can be mounted in suchpositions as to register with the contact rails at each location.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of apparatusembodying my invention, it is understood that various changes andmodifications may be made therein within the scope of the appendedclaims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.-

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Railway traflic controlling apparatus comprising a trackway trippingdevice, a home relay for controlling said device, a clearing relay forcontrolling said device, a partial trackway circuit for said clearingrelay including a back contact of said home relay and terminating in twospaced contact rails, said partialcircuit being provided with a lowresistance shunt around the clearing relay including a front contactofsaid home relay, a train-carried acknowledging relay, a train-carriedacknowledgment restoring relay, a stick circuit for said acknowledgingrelay including a normally closed acknowledging push button, a pick-upcircuit for said acknowledging relay including said push button and afront contact of said restoring relay, a partial train-carried c1rc u1tterminating in two shoes which register with said two contact railsrespectively and including a source of current and a back contact ofsaid acknowledging relay as well as the winding of-said restoring relay,said partial circuits being so proportioned that when the shoes engagethe contact rails the clearmg relay will close when the low resistanceshunt is open but the restoring relay will not close unless said shuntisclosed, and brake controlling apparatus on the train controlled bysaid tripping device and by said acknowl edging relay. 7 r

2. Railway traflic controlling apparatus comprising a trackway trippingdevice, a home relay for controlling said device, a clearing relay forcontrolling said device, a partial trackway circuit for said clearingrelay including a back contact of said home relay and terminating in twospaced; contact rails, said partial circuit being provided with alowresistanceshunt around, the clearing relay including a front contact ofsaid home relay, a train carried acknowledging relay, a

train-carried acknowledgment restoring relay, a stick circuit for saidacknowledging relay including a normally closed acknowledging pushbutton, a pick-up circuit for saidacknowledging relay includingsaidpushbutton and a front contact of said restoring relay, a partialstrain-carried circuit terminating in two shoes which register with saidtwo contact rails respectively and including a source ofcurrent and aback contact ofsaid acknowledging relay as well as the winding ofsaidrestoring relay, said partial circuits being so proportioned that whentheshoes engage the contact rails the clearing relaywill close when thelow resistance shunt is open but the restoring relay will not closeunless said shunt is closed, a brake valve on thetrain controlled bysaid tripping device, and means on thetrain for imposing a low speedlimit when said acknowledging relay is open but not when it is closed.

3. Railway traflic controlling apparatus comprising a trackway trippingdevice, a home relay for controlling said device, a

partial trackway circuit for said clearing relay including a backcontact of said home relay and terminating in two spaced contact rails,said partial circuit being provided with a low resistance shunt aroundthe clearing relay including a front contact ofsaid home relay, atrain-carried acknowledging relay, a train-carried acknowledgmentrestoring relay, a stick circuit for said acknowledging relay includinga normally closed acknowledging push button, a pick-up circuit for saidacknowledging relay including said push button and a front contact ofsaid restoring relay, a partial train-carried circuit terminating in twoshoes which register with said two contact rails respectively andincluding a source of current and a back contact of said acknowledgingrelay as well as the winding of said restoring relay, said shoes beingnormally retracted from positions for engagement with said rails, meansoperating when said acknowledging relay is open to project said shoesinto positions for engagement with said rails, said partial circuitsbeing so proportioned that when the shoes engage'the contact rails theclearing relay will close when said low resistance shunt is open but therestoring relay will not close unless said shunt is closed, and brakecontrolling apparatus on the train controlled by said tripping deviceand by said acknowledging relay.

4:. Railway traflic controlling apparatus home relay for controllingsaid device, a Clearing relay for controlling said device, a partial trackwa'y circuit for said clearing relay includingc abackcontact of saidhome relay. and terminating in two spaced contact rails, said partialcircuit being providedwith a low resistance shunt around the clearingrelay including a front contact of said home relay, a train-carriedacknowledging relay, a v 10 train-carried acknowledgment restoring relayfor controlling said acknowledging relay, a partial train-carriedcircuit terminating in two shoes which register with said two contactrails respectively'and including a source 15 of current and the windingof saidrestoring relay, said partial circuits being soproportioned thatwhenthe shoes engage the contact rails the clearingrelay will close whensaid low resistance shunt is open but the re 2 storing relay will notclose unless saidshunt is closed, and brake controlling apparatus on thetrain controlled by said tripping device and by said acknowledgingrelay.

Intestimonywhereof I afi'ix my signature. BERNARD E. OHAGAN.

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